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Month: March 2016

I have really been looking at goals and goalsetting, and I am more and more convinced that SMART goals are not for everyone. Just a quick reminder of what smart goals are:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Realistic

T – Time related

All very logical – and very Blaahhh! For me it kind of gives me that school assignment feeling of deadlines, and boredom and feeling confined! Now obviously it works really well for some people, but I am not convinced by this one size fits all approach to achieving goals.

Rich Litvin, who is one of the world’s top coaches, says “I love coaching people with really big, impossible goals – I don’t see these goals as a destination, I see them as a place to come from”

Now that really resonates with me. So let me give an example of how I have taken this into my life. I have been overweight for many years – and have frequently tried to lose weight. I have always set the targets specifically – eg 10 kg by a certain date, so compliant with SMART goals. Did I achieve it? NO!!! Did I feel inspired? NO!! Was it a chore? YES!

So now I have changed my goal – “I want to have an awesome body!”

Is that specific – no

Is that measurable – no

Is that attainable – probably not

Is that realistic – again probably not

Is that time related – definitely not

But – is it inspiring? Hell yes! So I see this goal as a path that I am on. It is a process rather than a destination. Each moment I can choose to be on the path, or straying off the path. When, as inevitably happens, I do stray off the path, I no longer see this as failure, but as a temporary deviation. I simply get back on the path. I may never have an awesome body, but I will probably be a lot healthier and slimmer than I would have been. Happier too!